Statement: Explores the dependant arising of all beings in nature: repetition and difference, togetherness and separation, the hidden and the exposed, the infinity and now.

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And just like those tiny clay sculptures before the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean, I suspect that I will experience the same feeling of being “now here but no where” as I explore the sights at my destination.

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I don’t usually post when I’m on holidays. So that’s all for now.

Assuming I do not fall victim to Dengue Fever, Heatstroke, Malaria, Rabies, Hepatitis, or Unexploded Military Ordnance, I hope to do one or maybe two more posts after my return before closing down for Christmas, as I do each year.

I have lists where I put recommended or sniffed-out-to-be-good books, films and places – only in Italy for now, I aim close. I do it in order not to forget about them. I don’t have a list of things to do in general, somehow the term ‘bucket list’ reminds me of throwing up. 😀

Enigmatic as ever Mr Dragon. Safe travels. By the sounds of your list of possible nasties, I hope you’ve had your shots. Take care and see you on your return!
P.S I do have a bucket list of sorts, trouble is it’ll take a lottery win to fulfill 🙂

The Secret Agent is on the mission of his life. 😀 Good for you! Looking forward to your reportage. I don’t have a bucket list (or at least I don’t call it that), but I do have some things I’d like to do and places I’d like to visit. For the travel, I’ve achieved all but one destination. Really feels good to just do it rather than save it for later. Because you never know if there will be a later.

Bon voyage wherever you may be heading off to – I am currently on stork watch and not going anywhere until the bundle arrives. I have a semi bucket list which I’ve happily been able to scratch off a few things on it.

My bucket list has always been a bit nebulous: travel as much as possible, get to Wyoming as often as we can, retire some day, things like that. However, I recently came across a vacation designed to cover a large number of national parks in the western part of the US that sounds like something I want to specifically include.

‘Dengue fever, heatstroke, malaria, rabies, hepatitis, unexploded military ordnance’ – I’ve been trying to think of which country you could be going to where you could possibly fall victim to one of these. I’ve come up with Cambodia! Bon Voyage 🙂

Love your first photo of the little girl eating pasta; kids enjoying food is so nice. Like you I don’t really have a bucket list but I have a long list of restaurants I want to try in Canberra and more places to visit in China so I suppose that is a sort of bucket list.

Always love your ocean scenes, they are so colourful and striking… plus a feeling of walking into the scene, I really like that look! 🙂 I now own a Sony A6000… so thrilled with it! Just wondering… what kind of lens would you recommend for scenes? I bought the camera with just the standard lens as I want to take a bit of time deciding what other lenses I’m likely to use. Probably one for portraits and a wide one for scenes. I do really like that look your scenes have. Is it an extra wide lens that gives the effect, or maybe a technique too?

For those kind of shots, a 24 – 50 mm focal length works well, depending on how close you want to get to your subject. Shoot at about f4 – 5.6 and the subject will be in focus and the background should blur. The amount of background blur depends on your aperture, the distance from the camera to the subject and the distance from the subject to the background. The closer you are to the subject and the further the background is from the subject, the greater the blur. You can practice by placing a person or item a few metres in front of a tree. Photograph them at different distances from in front, keeping all other variables stable. Then repeat with aperture changes, etc.

Thank you! 🙂 Yes, practice is everything really. I just haven’t had the chance to get out and about and find some really great scenes yet. Norwich is still all a bit grey at the moment. I loathe grey sky pictures unless they are moody and dramatic, can’t seem to find drama either at the moment! Spring is around the corner, makes chilly old England so much nicer to photograph. I’ve been practising on some still life, mainly Twitter friends books. Sounds strange I know, I’ll be posting something about soon, it will make sense hopefully. 🙂